The purpose of this proposal is to request partial funding to support the 1989 FASEB Summer Conference, Micronutrients: Trace Elements. The conference will be held July 23-28, 1989, at Copper Mountain, Colorado. An attendance of 130-150 is anticipated based on previous FASEB conferences on this topic, the Colorado conference site, and the unprecedented recent interest in basic and applied aspects of trace elements. The general theme will be regulatory, metabolic and functional aspects of trace elements at the molecular level. The format of the conference follows that of previous FASEB conferences in that slide presentations are scheduled in morning and evening sessions with afternoons left for informal discussions, poster viewing, or recreation. Slide presentations will emphasize many state of the art aspects of trace elements. There is unprecedented interest and research activity in trace elements and gene expression (two sessions) and trace elements and free radical formation (one session), and these areas will be emphasized. Other sessions will highlight absorption and transport, cellular metabolism, biological effects and recent clinical findings, and a workshop on methodology will be held also. Posters presented for the first two days will emphasize: absorption, bioavailability and metabolism and, for the next two days: functions, methods, status assessment and clinical findings. Concurrent discussions-presentations of a focused nature will be held to emphasize those areas not covered in the general sessions. These will include bioavailability and interactions, neurobiology and stable isotope methodology. Trace elements have attracted the attention of investigators from a variety of fields including molecular biology, biochemistry, cell biology, nutrition, medicine and pharmacology. The purpose of this conference is to provide a vehicle for interaction among scientists from a variety of disciplines with an interest in the trace elements in an atmosphere of free exchange. The conference proceedings will not be published and session chairpersons are encouraged to maximize discussion.